Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yolife’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Yolife’, characterized by its upright cut  Chrysanthemum  that is usually grown as a natural spray; dark green-colored foliage; freely flowering habit; uniform inflorescence form and development; large daisy-type inflorescences; red purple-colored ray florets; response time about 11.5 weeks; long and strong peduncles; and good postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Yolife’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yolife’.

The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. and Alva, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new cut Chrysanthemum cultivars having inflorescences with desirable colors and good inflorescence form and substance.

The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in December, 2000, in Salinas, Calif., of a proprietary Chrysanthemum×morifolium seedling selection identified as code number T2798, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary Chrysanthemum×morifolium seedling selection identified as T3822, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent.

The cultivar Yolife was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla., in April, 2002. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable inflorescence color and good inflorescence form and substance.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. since June, 2002, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Yolife have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Yolife’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Yolife’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright cut Chrysanthemum that is usually grown as a natural         spray.     -   2. Dark green-colored foliage.     -   3. Freely flowering habit, about six inflorescences per         flowering stem.     -   4. Uniform inflorescence form and development.     -   5. Large daisy-type inflorescences that are about 10.25 cm in         diameter.     -   6. Attractive red purple-colored ray florets.     -   7. Response time about 11.5 weeks.     -   8. Long and strong peduncles.     -   9. Good postproduction longevity with inflorescences and foliage         maintaining good substance and color for about two weeks in an         interior environment.

Compared to plants of the female parent selection, plants of the new Chrysanthemum have shorter flowering stems, larger inflorescences and longer peduncles.

Compared to plants of the male parent selection, plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower much more uniformly, have more inflorescences per flowering stem and flower slightly earlier.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Cumbia, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,113. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva. Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Cumbia in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had longer flowering stems         than plants of the cultivar Cumbia.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had a more upright spray         formation and more uniform inflorescence form than plants of the         cultivar Cumbia.     -   3. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were lighter         in color than ray florets of plants of the cultivar Cumbia.     -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had longer peduncles than         plants of the cultivar Cumbia.     -   5. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered later than plants of         the cultivar Cumbia.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering stem of ‘Yolife’ grown as a natural spray.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Yolife’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Salinas, Calif., under conditions which approximate commercial practice in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse. Two-week old rooted cuttings were planted on Nov. 3, 2004 and received four weeks of long day/short nights followed by short day/long nights until flowering. Plants were grown as single-stem natural spray cut Chrysanthemums. During the production time, the following environmental conditions were measured: day temperatures, 24 to 27° C.; night temperatures, 10 to 16° C.; and light levels, 2,000 to 4,000 foot-candles. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for six to ten typical flowering stems and were taken about twelve weeks after the start of short days.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Yolife. -   Commercial classification: Daisy-type cut Chrysanthemum. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female or seed parent.—Proprietary Chrysanthemum×morifolium             seedling selection identified as code number T2798, not             patented.         -   Male or pollen parent.—Proprietary Chrysanthemum×morifolium             seedling selection identified as code number T3822, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal tip cuttings.         -   Time to rooting.—About 10 to 14 days with soil temperatures             of 18 to 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous daisy-type cut flower that is             typically grown as a natural spray.         -   Flowering stem description.—Aspect: Erect. Length: About             135 cm. Spray diameter: About 18.5 cm. Stem diameter: About             8.5 mm. Internode length: About 3.4 cm. Texture: Pubescent;             longitudinally ridged. Color: Close to 146A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate. Length: About             10.1 cm. Width: About 6.2 cm. Apex: Cuspidate. Base:             Attenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed; sinuses mostly             divergent. Texture: Upper and lower surfaces, pubescent and             leathery; veins prominent on lower surface. Color:             Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Close             to 147A. Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower             surface: Darker than 147B. Venation, upper surface: Close to             147A to 147B. Venation, lower surface: Close to 146A.             Petiole: Length: About 2.2 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper             and lower surfaces: 146A to 146B. -   Flowering description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with elongated             oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on             terminals, arising from leaf axils. Disc and ray florets             develop acropetally on a capitulum.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plant flower             in the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other             times of the year, inflorescence initiation and development             can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at             least 13.5 hours of darkness). Plants exposed to three to             four weeks of long day/short night conditions after planting             followed by photoinductive short day/long night conditions             flower about 11.5 weeks later when grown as a natural spray.             Inflorescences uniform in form and development.         -   Postproduction longevity.—In an interior environment,             inflorescences and foliage will maintain good color and             substance for about two weeks in an interior environment.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering habit, about             six inflorescences per stem develop.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: Large, about 10.25 cm. Depth             (height): About 1.6 cm. Disc diameter: About 2 cm.             Receptacle diameter: About 9 mm. Receptacle height: About 1             cm.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 7.5 mm. Diameter: About             6 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color: Close to 146A to 147A.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated oblong. Length: About 5.1 cm.             Width: About 1.3 cm. Corolla tube length: About 3 mm. Apex:             Acute to emarginate. Base: Fused. Texture: Smooth, glabrous;             satiny; longitudinally ridged. Aspect: Initially upright;             when mature, mostly straight and perpendicular to the             peduncle. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 51             in three to four whorls. Color: When opening and fully             opened, upper surface: Ground color, 155D, overlain with 70A             to 71A. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Ground             color, 155D, faintly underlain with 70A to 71A.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Length: About 8 mm.             Width, apex: About 2.5 mm. Width, base: About 2 mm. Number             of disc florets per inflorescence: About 264. Color:             Immature: Close to 144A. Mature: Apex: Close to 9A.             Mid-section: Close to 144D. Base: Close to 155D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 34 in about             three whorls. Length: About 9 mm. Width: About 3.5 mm.             Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, waxy. Texture, lower             surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 146A.             Color, lower surface: Close to 146A to 147A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: First peduncle: About 27 cm. Fourth             peduncle: About 34 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Angle: About             30° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent.             Color: Close to 146A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: Close to             21A. Amount of pollen: None observed. Gynoecium: Present on             both ray and disc florets. Style length: About 5 mm. Style             color: Close to 144C. Stigma color: Close to 9A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under     commercial conditions. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have     demonstrated good tolerance to low temperatures of 7° C. and high     temperatures of 38° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yolife’, as illustrated and described. 